{"id":27574,"date":"2025-04-04T11:08:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T09:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniglobalunion.org\/?post_type=news&p=27574"},"modified":"2025-04-04T11:08:04","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T09:08:04","slug":"humanitarian-aid-must-reach-myanmars-people-not-the-military-junta","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/uniglobalunion.org\/news\/humanitarian-aid-must-reach-myanmars-people-not-the-military-junta\/","title":{"rendered":"Humanitarian aid must reach Myanmar\u2019s people, not the military junta"},"content":{"rendered":"
UNI Global Union, as part of the Council of Global Unions, extends solidarity to the people of Myanmar in the following statement:<\/p>\r\n
We, members of the Council of Global Unions (CGU), stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar following the devastating recent earthquake. We have been outraged by the Myanmar military junta\u2019s continued attacks, exploitation of a humanitarian crisis, and deliberate obstruction of life-saving assistance through indiscriminate aerial bombings and systematic human rights violations that continued in the most affected areas in the immediate aftermath. We acknowledge the recent announcement by the military government of a temporary ceasefire in operations against armed opposition groups, but this does not go far enough.<\/p>\r\n
Following the recent 7.7 magnitude earthquake, instead of prioritizing rescue and humanitarian support, the military escalated aerial bombings on civilian communities, including in Chaung U (Sagaing), Phyu (Bago), and Naung Cho (Shan). Such appalling acts, under the guise of disaster management, demonstrate a blatant disregard for human life and dignity.<\/p>\r\n
Myanmar\u2019s history painfully reminds us how the military regime exploits disasters, using humanitarian aid as a political and military weapon, as seen during Cyclone Nargis (2008), Cyclone Mocha (2023), and Typhoon Yagi (2024). Aid intended for survivors has repeatedly been diverted, restricted, or manipulated for regime gain, resulting in prolonged suffering and increased death tolls.<\/p>\r\n
The continued contempt for international law and total disregard for international obligations of the military should keep the international community, including UN agencies, on the alert not to be abused by the military to continue to impose itself on the Myanmar people. The military must stand aside for aid and humanitarian intervention to reach all the Myanmar people and for the Myanmar people to rebuild their lives and livelihoods in peace and democracy.<\/p>\r\n
We, therefore, urgently:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
Myanmar\u2019s workers, communities, and ethnic peoples urgently require aid and protection, not bombings and obstruction. The extraordinary resistance of the people of Myanmar, ethnic groups, and civil society in the face of adversity demonstrate their leadership in delivering essential humanitarian aid. The NUG\u2019s immediate declaration of a unilateral ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief starkly contrasts with the junta\u2019s continued violence and delayed reaction in calling off military operations.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
The legitimacy and credibility of international humanitarian action depend on principled, decisive, and accountable delivery of aid. The global community must not repeat past mistakes that allowed humanitarian aid to empower Myanmar\u2019s military oppressors.<\/p>\r\n
As trade union organizations representing workers globally, we reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with the people of Myanmar and call for immediate and sustained international pressure to end this humanitarian crisis.<\/p>\r\n
The earthquake has hit communities already enduring the junta\u2019s brutal campaign of killings, forced labour, displacement, and repression. Yet in the face of devastation, the people of Myanmar continue to show unbreakable morale, determination, and unity. Their resolve is a powerful inspiration to the global labour movement. The international community must stand with them, clearly, decisively, and without delay – on the side of justice and human dignity.<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
\r\n Building and Woodworkers International<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n International Trade Union Confederation<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n Education International<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n IUF<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n International Domestic Workers Federation<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n Public Services International<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n IndustriALL Global Union<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n International Federation of Journalists<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n UNI Global Union<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n International Transport Workers Federation<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UNI Global Union, as part of the Council of Global Unions, extends solidarity to the people of Myanmar in the following statement: We, members of the Council of Global Unions (CGU), stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar following the devastating recent earthquake. We have been outraged by the Myanmar military junta\u2019s continued attacks,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":27576,"template":"","categories":[],"global-issues":[],"sectors":[],"cross-sector-groups":[],"workers-rights":[],"regions":[85],"topics":[],"class_list":["post-27574","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","regions-uni-asia-pacific"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n |